Doug Melkovitz thought he might be sitting on an award-winning recipe: His mother’s cornbread was always a hit with friends, and he had improved on it with bacon and jalapenos. But entering a competition – and cooking for thousands – freaked him out and kept him from entering year after year. “What finally made me do it was coming up with a team,” Doug says. He and friends Patrick Cowan and Cassie Toro formed a crew, Men Do It Batter With a Girl, and the trio took top honors.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 55 min |
| Prep: | 5 min |
| Inactive: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 35 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 55 min |
| Prep: | 5 min |
| Inactive: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 35 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 slices bacon, finely chopped
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus more for the skillet if needed
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 to 3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk the cornmeal, all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
- Put the bacon in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet; set over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is browned and crisp, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the skillet.
- Add the diced onion to the hot skillet and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Transfer the onion and garlic to a separate plate and set aside. Keep the skillet over low heat.
- Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, honey and jalapenos in another large bowl; add the onion and garlic and whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until combined (do not overmix).
- Brush the bottom and side of the skillet with the fat left in it (add a pat or two of butter if there’s not enough). Carefully add the batter (it should sizzle) and sprinkle the bacon evenly on top. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 377 |
| Total Fat | 19 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 42 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 13 g |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Cholesterol | 86 mg |
| Sodium | 469 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 377 |
| Total Fat | 19 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 42 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 13 g |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Cholesterol | 86 mg |
| Sodium | 469 mg |
Reviews
This cornbread is fabulous! It is now the only one my family will eat, and they request it often. My son’s friends even talk about it, and my daughter will eat a huge slice as her meal. I add cheddar cheese, but everything else is just as written.
I’m not allowed to show up at Thanksgiving without making this. Started making it two years ago and it was a huge hit. All you need is a bowl to mix everything and a skillet to cook it in.